{"id":53868,"date":"2025-02-24T17:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T17:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/from-ashi-studio-to-elie-saab-arab-designers-dress-stars-at-sag-awards\/"},"modified":"2025-02-24T17:02:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T17:02:00","slug":"from-ashi-studio-to-elie-saab-arab-designers-dress-stars-at-sag-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=53868","title":{"rendered":"From Ashi Studio to Elie Saab, Arab designers dress stars at SAG Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tDUBAI: Lebanese-helmed architecture firm Lina Ghotmeh \u2014 Architecture (LG-A) will redesign the British Museum\u2019s Western Range galleries after winning the contract in a competition.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Paris-based firm, founded by Beirut-born Ghotmeh, will transform the museum\u2019s historic building the houses some of the world\u2019s greatest antiquities.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe competition for the project ran for nine months and attracted more than 60 teams. Five were shortlisted, including Reem Koolhaas and David Chipperfield, and were invited to take part in a two-stage competition, from which LG-A emerged as the winner.<\/p>\n \n\t
\n\t\tRenderings of the proposed design by LG – A. (Supplied)<\/figcaption>
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\n\tGotmeh\u2019s vision for the redesign for the galleries resonated with the judges due to its archaeological approach to the architectural design in what the museum is calling \u201cone of the biggest cultural renovations undertaken anywhere in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIn\u00a0Lina Ghotmeh\u00a0we have an architect who combines a deep sensitivity to the history of our great collection while being a voice for the future,\u201d said George Osborne, chairman of the British Museum and chair of the judging panel, in a statement. \u201cWe had many outstanding entries \u2013 and I thank the other practices for all their hard work \u2013 but I can say as chair of the judging panel, she was the standout winner.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cHer design ideas excited and enthused the trustees; when they become real buildings and galleries, we know they will excite and enthuse our millions of visitors,\u201d added Osborne.<\/p>\n \n\t \n\t\tLina Ghotmeh and Nicholas Cullinan in the Western Range. (The Trustees of the British Museum)<\/figcaption>
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\n\tThe judging panel comprised of experts in the field of architecture including Yvonne Farrell, Meneesha Kellay, Mahrukh Tarapor, and Sarah Younger. Alongside Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, were representatives from the British Museum\u2019s Board of Trustees \u2014 artist Tracey Emin, Charlie Mayfield and Alejandro Santo Domingo.<\/p>\n
\n\tGhotmeh, who grew up in Beirut during the 1980s amid the Lebanese civil war, is known for her sensitivity when designing projects. In 2023, she designed the Serpentine Pavilion London, making her the second female architect to do so after Zaha Hadid. She has also been commissioned to design a contemporary art museum in AlUla, Saudi Arabia\u2019s ancient desert region in the northwestern part of the country. In 2005, she won the international competition for the design of the Estonian National Museum while working in London and collaborating with Ateliers Jean Nouvel and Foster & Partners.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe beauty of this project lies in how my work process is both confirmed and enriched by a project like the British Museum,\u201d Ghotmeh told Arab News, adding how winning the project gave her \u201ca feeling of sharing, of collective joy, an expression of deep humanity that arises from the connections and emotions these moments evoke.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t \n\t\tRenderings of the proposed design by LG – A. (Supplied)<\/figcaption>
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\n\tGhotmeh\u2019s team also features Lebanese artist Ali Cherri, winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2022, who is known for his art exploring cultural heritage, particularly in Lebanon and the wider Mediterranean, and geopolitics.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhile prestigious, the redesign will be challenging. The Western Galleries, which comprise a third of the museum\u2019s overall gallery space, total 15,650 square meters. The complex area includes the original 1850s buildings that were designed by Robert Smirke and later additions \u2014 all of which need to be renovated to meet present building standards. Many of the galleries contain important \u201cheritage building fabric\u201d the museum has said.<\/p>\n
\n\tGhotmeh also notes the feeling of responsibility in redesigning such an important museum, stating how she feels \u201cthe responsibility to bring our visions to life and continue this path of striving for quality and beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cEach project, for me, is a historical, material, and creative journey \u2014 like \u2018archaeology of the future.\u2019<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI am thrilled to design with a deep understanding of this museum \u2014 its history, the possibilities of what a 21st-century museum could be, the collection, its provenance, and the stories it should tell,\u201d added Ghotmeh. \u201cIt\u2019s about finding ways to engage with it, creating dialogue, and turning spaces into vessels. This is an opportunity to create extraordinary places that inspire a deep connection with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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